Watching the Soccer with some locals at the Shearton Towers Pretoria, enjoying a bottle of Thelma or two!
Will be a long night!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Qantas Update
Finally advised that I have a seat on Monday night! Probably go via Bombay!May get home by Christmas.
They cannot fly to Sydney due to fog but can travel during the night.
They cannot fly to Sydney due to fog but can travel during the night.
Farewell see you in 2010
Well guys time to sign off and thanks for joining me in this blog and I look forward in continuing this venture in 2010.The photos and comments are only a snap shot of what happened and I have some great memories.
Camp Life
If you read the start of my blog you will have an understanding of what the camps would be like.
The days started at 6am with coffee being brought to your tent and you would then have a quick breakfast and at 6.30 you be off on a games drive.
As I was travelling by myself, I had my own private vehicle, driver and spotter which was great. We would have a picnic lunch, sundowners in the afternoon and return to camp at about 7 pm. After a quick shower- only allowed 20 litres of water, would head to the camp fire and have a few drinks followed by dinner. After dinner would then go out on a evening drive for a few hours. So it was full on.
You would then come back to camp, escorted to your tent, given a whistle to blow if you had any issues ion the night and wanted assistance and off to sleep which the Masai Mara People patrolled the grounds to make sure the animals stayed away from us. It is un real lying in bed hearing a lion roar, monkeys running over your tent or woken up hearing an elephant.
The next morning you wake up, venture off to have breakfast and see animal droppings around the camp.
The food at all camps was great and you had plenty of wine to wash it down with. Never got a hangover!
Some of the ventures I experienced were:
getting bogged, sighting a pride of lions and cubs, cheetahs and cubs, Hippos,elephants, start of the wild beast migration, monkeys trying to get into my shower water and lots more
The days started at 6am with coffee being brought to your tent and you would then have a quick breakfast and at 6.30 you be off on a games drive.
As I was travelling by myself, I had my own private vehicle, driver and spotter which was great. We would have a picnic lunch, sundowners in the afternoon and return to camp at about 7 pm. After a quick shower- only allowed 20 litres of water, would head to the camp fire and have a few drinks followed by dinner. After dinner would then go out on a evening drive for a few hours. So it was full on.
You would then come back to camp, escorted to your tent, given a whistle to blow if you had any issues ion the night and wanted assistance and off to sleep which the Masai Mara People patrolled the grounds to make sure the animals stayed away from us. It is un real lying in bed hearing a lion roar, monkeys running over your tent or woken up hearing an elephant.
The next morning you wake up, venture off to have breakfast and see animal droppings around the camp.
The food at all camps was great and you had plenty of wine to wash it down with. Never got a hangover!
Some of the ventures I experienced were:
getting bogged, sighting a pride of lions and cubs, cheetahs and cubs, Hippos,elephants, start of the wild beast migration, monkeys trying to get into my shower water and lots more
Safari Photos - From the three camps
Travelling from camp to camp was done in a single prop Cessna, which was a bit of a concern as some of the trips took over one hour and you had a number of stops picking up and dropping off
Friday, June 19, 2009
Photos
Having a few problems with Internet over here as it takes 10 minutes to upload a photo, so trust what you see you can relate to my adventure.
I was planning not to come back next year but it is so hard to say no when they appreciate your visit and you can see so much good being done.
During the safari trip which I will write about in the next few days, one of my guides use to be a person who was sponsored by World Vision. He is a Masai Mara person and he can now drive a car, has a wife, two children,attends university with the tips he makes and plans to start up his own safari business.So there is life and a future for these people. I will post his photo later.
I was planning not to come back next year but it is so hard to say no when they appreciate your visit and you can see so much good being done.
During the safari trip which I will write about in the next few days, one of my guides use to be a person who was sponsored by World Vision. He is a Masai Mara person and he can now drive a car, has a wife, two children,attends university with the tips he makes and plans to start up his own safari business.So there is life and a future for these people. I will post his photo later.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
The Safari
Arrived at Kenya on time - not like Qantas. Still no word about my flights home.
The road from the airport to Amboselli Camp was unreal, massive holes in the road, trucks overturn, zig zag your way.They drive, left, centre and right on the roads. At one stage they had to place wood over the gaps so we could get through and the dust was unreal.
Anyway we made it and was it hot and I needed a few reds to recover from the trip.
Strange this red wine give no hangovers
I will continue this part with photos etc once the Internet improves. I had a great time at each park and got some great photos.
It has been suggested by the Camp Managers I look at selling them, so plan to follow that up. They reckon the photos of leopards matting which I took on my first trip would be something that publishers want.
Time to have dinner now guys- keep those phones on!!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thelma
Hi John,
Hope all is well and your African adventure is panning out as planned. What's the wild life like? Have you had a chance to listen to any groovy tunes over there?
87mm of rain over two days last week here, hot and dusty in the south west!
Don't forget to put that pallet of Thelma on route to Victoria before leaving!
Cheers,
Chris
Hope all is well and your African adventure is panning out as planned. What's the wild life like? Have you had a chance to listen to any groovy tunes over there?
87mm of rain over two days last week here, hot and dusty in the south west!
Don't forget to put that pallet of Thelma on route to Victoria before leaving!
Cheers,
Chris
Monday, June 15, 2009
15th June - hello from the Appleby's
Hi John
You must be well and truly into your trip by now. How has everything gone with your sponsor family? How's you health? What happening - you have not filled in your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!
Appleby's are all sick with the flu - hopefully not the swine flu! Tom defended his Top Gun swim last week - 1500m race. Phoebe completed her 3 km race and came third. Matilda is going well and Lachlan is just glad the exams are over!
Caught up with Jen & Ray on Friday as I was in Bendigo for business - Ray was delighted with the ticket and is looking forward to the golf day.
Gerry is moving into Harold Street Ascot Vale tomorrow!
We look forward to hearing from you Johno.
Cheers
Bill
You must be well and truly into your trip by now. How has everything gone with your sponsor family? How's you health? What happening - you have not filled in your blog!!!!!!!!!!!!
Appleby's are all sick with the flu - hopefully not the swine flu! Tom defended his Top Gun swim last week - 1500m race. Phoebe completed her 3 km race and came third. Matilda is going well and Lachlan is just glad the exams are over!
Caught up with Jen & Ray on Friday as I was in Bendigo for business - Ray was delighted with the ticket and is looking forward to the golf day.
Gerry is moving into Harold Street Ascot Vale tomorrow!
We look forward to hearing from you Johno.
Cheers
Bill
Monday, June 8, 2009
MAPUTO
My bags were searched again and not fined> I know how to work the system now.
The weather has been crap however still nice and warm and all my aches and pains are fading away.
Today I had a tour of Maputo in a Tutt and cost me $50 for the day and was great fun. Since my last visit there has been alot of development in Maputo in hotels and shopping centres. You still have the large holes on the walkway which were caused by the bombs during the civil war so one never walks out tonight. Just get a cab $4.50 per hour.
Only seen a few armed guards this time.
Went to the Fish market, market and railway station >that was a concern.
Bought sponsor child a few more Tshirts, toothpaste and brushes.
Last night went out and enjoyed a cray with a few red and tonight I plan to enjoy a cray with a few whites.
Bill, as P of A you need to come here next time > we could have a Ball!Not like Indy.
Well, must go now as off to enjoy some food, wine beers etc etc.
Tomorrow I fly to Tete and the World Vision Venture contines and my case becomes empty again!
Hope all well
The weather has been crap however still nice and warm and all my aches and pains are fading away.
Today I had a tour of Maputo in a Tutt and cost me $50 for the day and was great fun. Since my last visit there has been alot of development in Maputo in hotels and shopping centres. You still have the large holes on the walkway which were caused by the bombs during the civil war so one never walks out tonight. Just get a cab $4.50 per hour.
Only seen a few armed guards this time.
Went to the Fish market, market and railway station >that was a concern.
Bought sponsor child a few more Tshirts, toothpaste and brushes.
Last night went out and enjoyed a cray with a few red and tonight I plan to enjoy a cray with a few whites.
Bill, as P of A you need to come here next time > we could have a Ball!Not like Indy.
Well, must go now as off to enjoy some food, wine beers etc etc.
Tomorrow I fly to Tete and the World Vision Venture contines and my case becomes empty again!
Hope all well
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Hi John
Dear John,
We hope you managed to get to South Africa safetly. Looking forward to reading about your trip on the blog. How's the hip after the long flight?
Cheers
Bill
We hope you managed to get to South Africa safetly. Looking forward to reading about your trip on the blog. How's the hip after the long flight?
Cheers
Bill
Friday, June 5, 2009
Arrived Pretoria
After sitting like sardines for 14 hours finally made it to South Africa and the fun now begins.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
News Flash
Just had the quickest International trip!
6am flight cancelled due to Fog in Sydney.
Qantas decided to put all three flights on one flight and we finally left Melbourne at 8.30m and arrived in Sydney at 10.15am.
Off we go to International transfer and told all okay.Go through customs, fill out the forms etc and arrive at gate 34. We note the plane is there and we are told that we are too late, we had been delisted.
Ten people delisted not happy!
We then go back to Customs, pick up our luggage, put in a bus and taken to the Mecure Hotel at 1pm and told to wait, you may be going to Hong Kong!
Then we get told no planes to Hong Kong, you will have to stay here for the night and we will try and get you on a plane tomorrow!
The word TRY went over like a ton of bricks!
So at the moment I am in Sydney at a 4 star hotel in the industrial area of Mascot. All I can say Qantas will pay for this and I plan to draft my letter over a few reds tonight.
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